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SHIRIKI HUB

A.R.E.D. is a Hardware as a service company (HAAS). We develop a "business in a box" solar kiosk called SHIRIKI HUB to empower people at the base of the pyramid. On the kiosk, we provide services such as charging small electronics, mobile money, and internet hotspot using a low cost franchise business model.
Environmental impact: Our technology uses solar energy and we develop a recycling program to dispose of the kiosk after its life cycle.

Provide a status update for your Innovation.

We have finished our development of our latest kiosk that will provide WIFI data and the software system to not only monitor the kiosk, but also collect data and finally provide our micro franchisees the possibilty to provide virtual top up services to their customers.
- We are just registered our business in Uganda in 2017, we still need to improve on the WIFi system and software but that will be a continous process.

How does your innovation work?

We have a quadruple bottom impact on the ground:

Environmental impact: Our technology uses solar energy and we develop a recycling program to dispose of the kiosk after its life cycle.

Social impact: we develop and train man, women and people with disabilities to be part of our franchise program. Most of our franchisees are people that are unemployed

Technological impact: We have also develop an intranet platform within the kiosk that will allow anyone to access digital contents from our build in server within the kiosk without having any data plan on their phone. it is a revolutionary concept. Our vision is to develop the largest WIFI network in Africa.

Economic impact: Our franchisees average around $100 to $150 net revenue per month which is twice what the income per capita in Rwanda. The micro franchisee have minimum overhead since the kiosk is 100% powered by solar panel and the mobility option minimize any infrastructure to be built.

What Evidence do you have that your Innovation works?

There is plenty of evidence that our kiosk work, we do surveys, our franchisee average $100/ month net, which is double the revenue per capita in Rwanda. We were able to implement 25 solar kiosk so far, and we plan to implement 400 in the next two years.

Additional Evidence Documentation

Do you have current users or testers?

We have 25 kiosks on the ground and 2 people per kiosk. The longest kiosk on the ground has 2 years. 30% are women and 5% people with disabilities. Base on their feedback, we working on the fourth generation kiosk that will add more services and be much more efficient, therefore increase revenue for the franchisees and the company.

What is your strategy for expanding use of your innovation?

Although mobile phones and telecommunications are not basic necessities like food, water and shelter but they are becoming increasingly critical and useful in uplifting peoples' quality of life in form of ability to communicate quickly with others on important matters, money transfers, increasing business opportunities, education etc. A large number of people do not have easy access to different telecom products such as mobile money transfer, air time etc.
On the other hand, telecom companies have products and services but not enough outreach, especially in rural areas.
This is where the business case for our idea lies. Through our business idea, we can easily cater to the need of people and help telecom businesses as well through our distributed franchise and partnership business model.
People can charge their mobile devices and small electronics cheaply and also buy mobile products and services with ease. Franchise owners develop their business and grow. Telecom companies, through our highly adaptable mobile kiosks, buy advertising space as well as use it as channel for selling their products and services through ARED franchises.
This has potential to bring in significant revenues over a period of time.

Our business model:
Franchises lease our innovative and unique mobile solar kiosk for an initial franchisee fee which includes training, free transportation of kiosk to the working location, insurance and all products and services needed by franchise to run her or his business. Franchise then uses the kiosk to sell different products and services which can include charging of mobile devices and small electronics, air time, mobile money transfer etc.
Through a profit sharing structure in our franchise business model, franchises will share 1-3 % of profits on all their sales on the kiosks. Further, we also get revenue from advertising and product / service sale deals from telecom companies (through exclusive or non-exclusive partnership models).

Future, planned modifications to the mobile solar kiosk include providing wi-fi internet through the kiosk. This will bring in extra revenue.

Advertisement revenue per kiosk per month in Rwanda: USD 70. Still in negotiation in Burundi.
Finally,

If we generate income of USD 100 per kiosk, we will be able to generate profits in 8-10 months.
We need minimum 100 kiosks to break even in Rwanda and Burundi, but we anticipated a minimum 1200 total kiosks.

Next Steps

Step 1: raise grants and investment fund to strenght our team and develop the next kiosk
step 2: negotiate with larger telecom companies for our expansion plan
step 3: partner with strong distributor to implement te kiosk through their network
step 4: develop the software tthat will help any franchisee monitor the kiosk and sales of all services, collect specific data from the kiosk such as the amount of charges, location of the kiosks, condition of the battery. The software will allow a detail record keeping of all agents working on the kiosk.

In the News

Discuss

I love this kiosk, especially that it was created in Rwanda, one of my favorite countries I've ever visited! The wifi possibility is especially exciting. I just wanted to say that your video is great and really differentiates your innovation from others. I'll keep my eyes open for opportunities to help. Best of luck!

Thanks Katie, we working hard to bring this WIFI to market, but our goal is also focus on local digital content by promoting local developers and distribute it for free but earn through advert. If you know of any grants that focus on product development and social impact please let me know. Thanks again